Meldon Mince

This week I've been nursing a horrible huge heel blister since a long run out in the Pentland Hills last weekend. The second of two short try-out runs on Wednesday evening ended as a hobble ... heel not ready for a proper run. One short try-out run on Friday was tolerable, far from perfect, but with blister plaster and strapping it might be alright. So I set out this morning for a moderate run over the Meldon Hills just a little north-west of Peebles. I walked these once, on November 6, 2011 with my family. So, its been a long time, and hello again ... I've been itching to run over you beauties for months.

I'm parked at a picnic area on the undulating unclassified road heading south-west from Eddleston through the heart of the Meldon Hills alongside Meldon Burn. The figure-of-eight route plan today has me heading north traversing White Meldon Hill above the burn, then a turn south-east to the summit of the hill, descending in a southerly direction, and turning westward to bring me back to the start point. From here I'll climb again up sister hill Black Meldon, descend to the west, then turn south to traverse the hill above the burn, finishing at the picnic area. White Meldon is ahead of me to the north-east but first I must cross the very pretty Meldon Burn.

White Meldon ahead of me to the north-east 

First I must cross the very pretty burn

I am making my traverse on scraps of sheep track through the heather above the burn, and rough ground, and burrowing through the bracken. Black Meldon to my left looks beautiful. I soon pass near the remains of an ancient settlement. This area is full of ancient remains, settlements, homesteads, hill forts. The tops of both White and Black Meldon are the sites of ancient hill forts. Driving along the road to the car park there were great piles of stones in the fields to my left, the remains of ancient hut circles.

Traverse on scraps of tracks above the burn ...

... and burrowing through the bracken.

Beautiful Black Meldon ... we will meet again soon

Below to my left the remains of an ancient settlement

I've been on a steady ascent for the last few minutes but now I make my turn south-east and the gradient steepens, and I'm across the heather to pick up some ATV tracks which will take me most of the way to the summit. I'm finding it hard going now, for some reason unknown to me harder than I'm used to in these conditions, and the wind has picked up from being a nuisance to being a bit of a challenge. And it has started to rain. And I am starting to feel cold. So I stop to pull my half-zipped jacket smock like over my head. Now I feel better. Onward and upward and the summit cairn and trig are always a welcome sight. The views from here on a clear day are simply wonderful, but this is not the most clear day. The fierce wind is blowing from the west, and there is heavy weather coming in my direction.

The ascent changes from steady to steep ...

... and the sight of the summit trig ...

... are welcome to the eyes of the old plodder.

The views from here are wonderful on a clear day ...

... there is heavy weather coming from the west ...

The wind has managed to increase and likewise the rain, so I do not want to hang around here at the summit area. Fast down on rough ground, passing some old stone walls, and more scraps of tracks through the heather and bracken, the weather is very poor, I am thinking about cutting short when I reach the picnic area. Its not long before the picnic area comes into sight, and now the rain has abated and the sun is out ... yippee! Soon back at the car and a very quick bite of lunch is welcome. Less welcome, turns out I was not organised last night on preparations of the electronics - the camera battery has run out of charge.

Fast descent on rough grassland in poor weather ...

... passing more old stone, weather improving ...

... the car park comes into sight, loop one almost complete.

I'm back at the car park now wet with rain and sweat. Jacket off and stowed back in the bum bag, leave the dead camera in the car, and away up Black Meldon. Its a steep climb for little old me but the sun is shining bright and I'm huffing and puffing my way up and sweating hard. The summit reached I pause to swig some water, enjoy the view, and check my watch. Aha, here's another prep error, its blank. No matter, a bit of fun with the steep descent and then a sweet traverse on ATV tracks back to the picnic area.

I'm back at the car a second time and my feet are wet, they have been for quite a while now, so off with the wet running shoes, and the wet socks. The blister plaster and fabric strapping arrangement has survived better than expected, and there's been no problem whatsoever in that department, I've been fortunate there. Just in case you're wondering why this was "Meldon Mince" (apart from the attractive alliteration), this was the first time since the late snows earlier this year that I've done the "ballerina thing"..

Enjoy!

Running in Touch

This week I'm working every day at one of the company locations about fifty miles from home, near the village of Cambusbarron, near the city of Stirling, in the business centre at the Touch Estate. Just as an initial matter, the pronounciation. Its not touch as in touchy-feely. Think about the guttural "ch" in Scots word loch, and think about the number two, or even better think about the "ou" in french "tous". I'm planning to run up into the hills above the estate house and explore a few water features this evening, and no doubt I'll be doing a bit of cow-dodging along the way.

I'm starting outside the stables building which has been converted into a business centre, I've been working here for over ten years now. The location is absolutely brilliant in terms of scenery, greenery and trail running opportunities. Also sheep, and cows, and tractors, and deer, and pheasants, and the sounds of shooting when in season, this is a working scottish estate, with grand and historic estate house. I'm running at first alongside the road at the rear of the estate house. Its very peaceful at this time, around 6PM, mostly I hear the sounds of Touch Burn to my right and a few bird songs. I can hear the sound of rushing cascading water, so I divert along a soft track through the trees, past the moss covered ruin of some old stone building, to take a look at one of the waterfalls on the burn.

Touch Stables, converted to the business centre

Touch House, the rear 

Touch Burn, through the trees

Heading along tracks through the trees ...

... passing a moss covered ruin of an old stone building ...

... to one of the waterfalls on Touch Burn.

I return to the road, now little more than a track, and through a gate out into the pasture and along rough ATV tracks up toward the Touch hills. The autumn colours are starting to come on some of the deciduous trees, already, late August, here, the scots pine are majestic. Soon the track is overgrown and the undergrowth brushes my legs, this is fine with me, I like it, the only problem is I cant see where my feet will land and the track is rough and stoney, so take care old plodder as you pass the farmhouse and out-buildings The next gate leads to some steep with a large tree fallen on my left. The Touch hills come into sight ahead of me and soon I'm running across the open, rough, ground. The few times I've been up here I've encountered a small herd of shaggy, horned, highland cattle. They are not here today, they will be around somewhere, and perhaps I will need to take care as they will no doubt have calves at this time.

Through the gate ...

... and onto tractor tracks over the pasture

The autumn colours are here in some of the trees ...

... and the evergreen scots pine are majestic.

The tracks become overgrown ...

... as I pass the highest farmhouse ...

... at the next gate the steeper ascent begins ...

... passing a large fallen tree ...

... and soon over rough ground in the Touch Hills.

There are a few reservoirs up here and that's where I'm heading this evening, to visit two of them. Its a little of a grind but the first of them is soon reached. I hop over the fence and run around the edge for a while until the path is lost in the bracken, so I'm back over the fence and at least there is some kind of a break in the foliage, leading me back to the water edge.

I reach the first reservoir, over the fence ...

... and along the shore

The path is lost in the bracken, so up and back over the fence ...

... to some kind of path through the undergrowth.

In a few minutes I need to leave the first reservoir and a short steep up to the larger second. I'm running around the shore again and at times the going is a little technical, then I must leave the rocky edge and ascend to safer ground through the heather. The heather is resplendent at the moment. I'm running through more bracken admiring the reservoir until I hop over a stile and onto the rough service road, and then soon to descend. The views in front of me over the Ochill Hills, in Sun, are gorgeous, and the smaller Gargunnock Hills behind me are shrouded in low cloud, what a contrast. 

Now a short sharp steep up on grass to ...

... the second reservoir where its nice to run ...

... along the rocky shore, until ...

... the going gets technical, then impossible ...

... but leaving the edge, the heather is beautiful.

Just a little more charging through the bracken, admiring the waters, until ...

... I'm out over a stile and onto the rough hiill roads.

I can make a fast pace down these tracks until I meet the herd of highland cattle, with calves as expected, blocking the way ahead. I attempt to keep a little distance, I really do not want to disturb the mothers, so I divert through the heather but still the cattle are very interested, and one starts to run toward me. Eek! I must speak with some farmers, I must learn what to do when I need to keep the cattle calm. Well, anyway, no harm done today, I ran away, and the cow stopped when I was a little more distant. In all the excitement I've ended up running in the wrong direction on the wrong track, so about turn and back uphill past the logs, and then down past the water treatment station.

The shaggy horned beasts force a diversion ...

... back up through the piles of logs ...

... and descent resumes toward the water treatment station.

There are roads from here down past a few farms to Touch Road (the "main road" around here) and I could run along them, but I don't have to do that, I've got a better plan. I'm going to run across the fields and criss-cross another wee burn. There's a colourful plant here which is unfamiliar to me, and then over a climby bit in the fence, past a magnificent old tree, and the joy of running a gentle downhill on rough pasture.

Interesting plant, unknown to me ...

... near the fence climb thing ...

... leading me past a magnificent old tree ...

... and happy gentle descent over rough pasture.

There's another wee burn down here to the left, its quite charming. I must cross at first on a weak bridge, I reckon this will be okay, I weigh way less than two tons. I'm turning right off the track over the rough and through knee deep grass, just because its a pretty place to be along the burn. I have to cross again on an old decayed wooden footbridge, luckily it can still bear my weight. Then I have another fence to negotiate, well, in the past I've got down on all fours and slithered under the gap at the bottom. I'm trying to be a good boy because the fences posts are weak and wobbly. I knew the sheep had been doing likewise because there was always some wool left snagged on the lower edge of the fence, so I've been following the example of the wise sheep again. In the meantime, farmer has created a blockage below, understandable.  Anyway, the field to the right is full of sheep and more cattle with calves, so I turn to the left. This gives me an excellent view over the front of Touch House, and then the main entrance of the stables buildings with weather vane and sun dial.

Weak bridge crossing another wee burn ...

... such a pretty little place.

Weaker, decaying, overgrown footbridge crosses again, leading ...

... to a choice of fence crossing options ... over or under?

The impressive front of Touch House ...

... and the main entrance of the stables buildings, with weather vane and sun dial.

So that was a lovely little after-work running and cow-dodging outing, I've gone a little under 8km, with a small climb of around 250m. Its been a bit on the slow side, with photo stops and cattle evasion. I was on the go for about 56 minutes. I can't remember how long I've been wanting to have a wee run here again, now its done, and I'm happier for that. Just got the sweat soaked hour of driving back home ahead of me now.

Enjoy!